good news for Oklahoma City Thunder done deal……

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma City voters on Tuesday approved a six-year, 1% sales tax to help finance the NBA’s Thunder’s new downtown arena, which is expected to cost at least $900 million.
The Oklahoma State Board of Elections reported that 71% of the city’s voters approved the plan.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that this vote is an example of the connection between teams, fans and communities.

“I’m grateful for the trust the people of Oklahoma City have placed in both the Thunder and the NBA as we enter a new era of global sports and entertainment,” said Silver.
As part of the deal, the Thunder committed to remain in Oklahoma City until at least 2050.
Thunder ownership group donates $50 million toward construction of new arena.
The deal also includes $70 million in voter-approved funding from the 2019 sales tax for upgrades to the existing Paycom Arena.
The proposal was strongly supported by Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt and officials from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, who argued that preserving the Thunder is an important part of the city’s growth and economic development.
“We have told the nation and the world that Oklahoma City is and will continue to be a big league city,” Holt said in a written statement after the vote.

Sales tax will begin on April 1, 2028, when the current sales tax ends, and the city’s sales tax rate will remain unchanged.
The exact location has not yet been determined, but the deal calls for the arena to open in time for the 2029-2030 NBA season.
Oklahoma Progress Now, a group that opposed the proposal, said the results “do not reflect what we expected, but they do reflect the voice of the Democratic Party in Oklahoma City.
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Council members Nikki Nice and JoBeth Hamon also opposed both.
Proposed Sales Tax and Memorandum of Understanding with Thunder Owners.
“This deal was negotiated from a position of fear and scarcity, benefiting the wealthy and never reaching ordinary people,” Hamon said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
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A group of more than 25 local economists also took to the stage to call for a “no” vote, arguing that there was no price cap and that it would not have a significant impact on economic growth.
The NBA franchise (formerly the Seattle SuperSonics) moved to Oklahoma City in his 2008.
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